Rustic Gujarati Series: Rasiya Muthiya.....

These cold, dark days of Winter have me craving soups everyday, and while this isn't exactly a soup- it comes pretty close to comfort in a bowl.

This recipe is authentically Gujarati, and a great way to use up leftover khichdis and rice. I had some leftover khichdi last night so I made this for me and the kiddos.

What is it exactly? These are dumplings made of leftover rice and flour cooked in "Chaas". You can't get any rustic than this!



Note:Use these measurements as a guideline, add or omit ingredients to taste:

Ingredients:

For Muthiya or Dumplings:
1 cup- leftover rice or khichdi
1/2 cup- Besan or Chickpea flour
1/2 cup- Whole wheat Flour
2 tbsp- Semolina
2 tbsp- ginger-chili paste
methi leaves, grated squash or gourd - (optional) -I left it out
Salt, Sugar, turmeric and chili powder- to taste

Chaas:
2 cups Chaas,- Yogurt thinned down with Water - medium consistency
1 tbsp- Oil,
Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Curry Leaves, Dried Chilies, and Asafoetida- to temper
Cilantro - to garnish

First, make the dough. Mix the rice with the flours and spices and form a dough, you may or may not need any water at all, mix the rice really well with your hands and add some if needed, but keep the dough as firm as possible.

After you make the dough, make small little dumplings out of it and set aside. See Picture.

Mix some yogurt with water and make a 'Chaas' of a medium consistency after all the dumplings have been made. In a separate pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chilies and the asafoetida. Add the 'Chaas' now and mix well. Add the salt immediately along with the sugar and the turmeric and chili powder. Now add the dumplings one by one. Lower the heat to a medium and let the dumplings cook thoroughly.

Once all the dumplings float to the top, they are ready to eat.

Garnish with some cilantro and eat this piping hot. Enjoy!

Weekend Lunch Series: Corn-Zucchini Soup

A soup CAN be a whole meal sometimes... this recipe proves it so!
I don't know about anyone else, but soup is all I crave during those times I run myself ragged from various activities. We had one such day last week and I put together this soup in a jiffy...I had some garlic bread in the freezer and it went well with this delicious, creamy soup... try it sometime...

Here is what you will need:

• 1 cup Corn- fresh or frozen
• 1 cup Zucchini- chopped
• 1 Onion- chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic- chopped
• 1 tbsp- Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup - heavy cream (optional) you can use milk in its place too.
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp- all purpose flour
  
• Salt, Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp- Italian or other dried herbs ( I used a French Seasoning Mix)
• Sprinkle of Lime Juice
• Optional - you can use chopped bell peppers and potatoes in this soup too
• 1/2 cup of water
  

In a deep pan, heat some oil, add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute till golden brown. Add the Corn and the Zucchini pieces with a bay leaf. After around five minutes, add the all purpose flour and mix well. Add the water and the cream. Add the rest of the seasonings and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil,discard the bay leaf, use a hand held blender to bring it to the consistency you like. I left some whole pieces in there...and coarsely blended the soup. Add some Lime juice and more black pepper on top, serve hot with a piece of warm garlic bread.

That's it....what can be so simple than that....and perfect for those busy or lazy weekends...Enjoy.

See you all next week with a perfect recipe for the Spring: Gujarati Series: "Chauli-Ringan Shaak"